Dear friends,
Whether it’s your reward that compels you, or your fuel that sustains you through the coming year, if you are like me, Winni is a week of love and joy that can keep you going. Life is hard, and our week together is a haven that can at once heal us, stretch us to be more, inspire us to do more, and remind us of the good that exists in this world.
This year, with all the challenges of the pandemic, perhaps you were holding camp as your candle in the dark more than ever. As we all live through the emotional struggles of this challenging time, it is so hard to know we won’t be together, much as we know not having “in-person” camp is the safest and most loving decision. This note is to remind you that you are not alone; your circle of love, and light, is here.
This is an invitation to reach out – to reach out if you are in emotional pain -- to me, who has trained as an interfaith healthcare chaplain, or to another in camp whom you know and trust. This is also an invitation to those in our community who are trained to care for those struggling emotionally to contact me if you are willing to make your availability known to the greater community – social workers, psychotherapists, faith community leaders, and the like.
And, this is an invitation to reach out to another in our camp whom you feel close to, a person you worry might be in pain, or for any reason at all – just to check in. It is an invitation for us to “be with" with intention, to keep each other close at heart, as we stay safely distant.
Until we meet again, may you feel embraced by the spirit of NNESRE, and held in the palm of God’s hand. Until we meet again, let’s stay in touch.
With love,